Air-cooling device for explosive-engines.



,277. PATENTED NOV. 6;\190' I L. A; PRAYER &' W. J. MILLER. AIR COOLING DEVICE FORIEXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILEDJAN. 11. 1905.

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INVE. NT ORA/r [AT T 0 3mm No- 835,277. PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

L. A. PRAYER & w. J. MILLER. AIR-COOLING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11. 1906.

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Inn EMMA v ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEnoE.

LEE A. FRAYER AND WILLIAM J. MILLER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A'SSIGNORS TO THE OSCAR LEAR AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO. A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 190 3.

Application filed January 11, 1905- Serial No. 240,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEE A. FRAYER and WILLIAM J. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin, in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Cooling Devices for Explosion- Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to air-cooling devices for explosion-engines, especially those used in the operation of. automobiles; and it consists in the various devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth.

We provide a narrow vertical chamber in the head of the cylinder, in the walls of which,

directly opposite each other, we place inlet and exhaust valves, so that the cooling charge drawn in by the downward stroke of the piston may pass directly against and around the exhaust-valve and valve-chamber which, it is well understood, are the parts most intensely heated in the operation of an explosion-engine. Extra precaution must be taken not only to direct all the'cooling forces possible thereon but also to provide that as little as possible of the air which has served to cool the exhaust-valve chamber may be drawn down over the cylinderhead. This renders it advisable, therefore,

to provide means for communicating with the surrounding atmosphere without first passing over the head of the cylinder. We provide upon the exterior of the above-mentioned narrow chamber corrugations extending vertically along the front and back thereof. Diiliculty is also experienced in the heating-of the piston-head, the center of which is subjected to 1 excessive heat. Various devices have been suggested for removing this difficulty;- but We prefer to remedy it by placing on the under side of the piston-head spines cast thereon, which greatly increase the radiating 'surface and in practice are found to produce the desired effect. v

' Our improved device willnow be described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side view. Fig. 2 is a sectional'front view. Fig. 3 is a front view of the combustion-chamber, showing the corrugations, and F ig. 4 is a section along the line A A of Fig. 3..

Like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 isa cylinder provided upon the circumference and upper part with spines 2.

3 is the piston, carrying upon the inside of the head spines 4. .The object of the latter is to produce a greater cooling-surface/ Opening into the head of the cylinder is a combustion-chamber 5, in the opposite walls of which are openings 6 and 7, communicating with the exhaust-valve chamber and intake-valve chamber, respectively. A casing 10 is adapted to be slipped down over the combustion-chamber and cylinder-head and contains openings 8 and 9, which are brought into register with the openings in the combustion-chamber. The intake and exhaust valve chambers are then inserted through these openin s and secured in place to communicate witi the cylinder through the combustion-chamber.

The chamber 5 is narrow, as stated, and when the exhaust-valve 11 and the inletvalve 12 are seated the distance between them is very slight, being just great enough to permit them to perform their function. The charge drawn in through the intakevalve by the descent of the piston is a cool mixture, and owing to the proximity of the exhaust-valve it will travel against and be drawn around the same, thereby producing a desirable cooling efiect upon the exhaustvalve. I

The valve 11 is operated by means of a cam-actuated push-rod 13 the bell-crank le-' ver 14, and the spring 15 in a manner readily understood. Valve 12 is operated in a similar manner.

It will be observed that the metal casing fits close against the shoulder 16 of the intake-valve chamber, whereas the shoulder 17 of the exhaust-valve chamber is positioned at a short interval from the casing, as'ap ears at 18 and 19. At 19 is shown an annu in channel on the circumference of the exhaust-valve chamber, which permits air forced down through the inside of the casing to travel over and around said valve-chamber and out through the wall of the casing. The speed at which the air travels causes it to seek an exit at all points of this annular channel, and it therefore passes into the surrounding atmosphere in all directions between the casing and the shoulder on the exhaust-valve chamber. The air driven down from labove, as hereinafter shown, passes down over the exhaust-valve chamber and the narrow vertical chamber, ,a portion the escape of the heated air on all sides of the exhaust-valve chamber is of the greatest importance, and when utilized in connection with the provision for cooling the exhaustvalve by the downward current of the driven air, and the incoming charge of the explosive mixture, as shown above, the diffi culty hitherto experienced in cooling explosion-engines by air is obviated. Therefore practice shows that an engine constructed and arranged as ours is can be operated continuously and successfully, so far, at least, as any difliculty due to the excessive heating of the parts is concerned.

The casing 10 is fitted over the upper part of the cylinder, so as to leave a larger open area for the passage of air on the side of the chamber 5 to which the exhaust-valve chamber is attached, and in consequence of this arrangement a larger volume of air is brought into contact with the parts subjected to the greatest heat.

The casing 10 at its lower extremity communicates'with the outer atmosphere and at the top with the air-pipe 20. Located in an enlarged portion 21 of the air-pipe 20 is a blower -22, driven at a high rate of speed through gearing operated from the prime moving shaft, as shown at 23, 24, .25, and'26.

A detachable plate 27 in the upper side of the pipe 20 is held in place by the rod 28 engaging the combustion-chamber at 29,and carryin a wing-nut 30 at its outer end. 'When t e plate 27 is removed, ready access to the combustion-chamber and the sparking device is provided. 31 and 32 indicate the corrugations on the front and rear of the combustion-chamber, whereby a greater surfac is exposed to the cooling effectof the aircurrent. i

The drawingsshow only one cylinder by way of illustration; but it will be alnderstood that our improved devices for cooling are adapted to be used on any"number of cylin: I

ders that may be employed in the operation of-the car.

Suppose that the engine is started. The blower actuated throughithe gearing connection will be drivenat a high ratelbf speed,

and a current of air will be forced inward, through the pipe 20. It will travel-along until it reaches the casing .10, opening into the pipe 20. Here a portion of the current seesaw of air will be forced downward over the narrow chamber 5, and a part thereof will sweep through corrugations thereon, down among the spines on the cylinder, and out at the bottom of the casing. A portion passes down and around the exhaust-valve chamber'and down over the cylinder. Another portion passes over and around the exhaust-valve chamber and out through the annular channel into the surrounding atmosphere in all directions. It is seen that the annular channel 19 being let into the circumference of the exhaust-valve chamber, does not only permit the air to escape therethrough, but also affords a greater surface for the contact of theair with this highly-heated portion. The current of air driven by the blower is moving at a very high speed and sweeps over the heated parts at so great a rate that the vresulting cooling eiiec't is produced in part by convection. Meanwhile within the cylinder the incoming charges of the explosive mixture have exercised a cooling effect on the exhaust-valve and valve-seat, and in the piston-head the downwardly-projecting spines have operated to produce a cooling effect also.

It will be noted that the shoulder 17 on the exhaust-valve chamber is circumferential and outside the casing and located at a slight distance therefrom. It forms a continuation of the outer wall of the annular chamnel, and air rushing into the channel seeking an escape from the casing will strike the shoulder and tend to be deflected, thereby tending to produce cross-currents and retaining the air slightly longer in contact with the annular channel, and thereby permitting it to exercise a greater cooling effect.

It will be noted, further, that the annular channel is substantially in the plane of the opening through the casing admitting the exhaust-valve chamber, and the inner Wall of the casing therefore directs the current of air down against theinner wall of the annular channel, thereby causing deflection of the stream of air, which also aids in prolonging the cooling effect.

It is seen from the foregoing descriptionthat our improved air-cooling device provides for the creation of a swiftly-moving current side opening in the casing, the shoulder, the

opening at the bottomof the casing, the corexhaust-valve chamber connecting therefully overcomes rugations and spines,-and the means for directing air into and through the casing produces an -air-coo1ing device which successthe difficulties hitherto experienced. Our arrangement of parts furnishes a highly-efiicient operating. mechanism, occupies a minimum amount of s ace, and serves greatly to decrease the weig t, all of which are considerations of the greatest moment in automobile construction.

What we claim as .new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an explosive-engine, a cylinder, an exhaust-valve chamber connecting therewith, a'casing over said cylinder, means for creating a current of air, means for directing the same into said casing upon said exhaust-- valve chamber, and means adapted to permit the escape of air'frorfi the casing circumferentially of said exhaust-valve chamber whereby air, heated by said exhaust-valve chamber is driven from the casing Without passing over the cylinder.

2., In an explosive-engine, a cylinder, an

with, a casing over saidcylinder containing .an opening for the reception of said exhaustvalve chamber, means for creating a current of air, and means for directing. the same into said casing upon said exhaust-valve cham her, said opening being adapted to facilitate the discharge of air from the casing circum' ferentially of said exhaust-valve chamber, whereby air heated by said exhaust-valve chamber is driven from the casing without passing over the cylinder.

3. In an explosive-engine, a cylinder, an exhaust-valve chamber connecting there: with, a casing over said cylinder containing an opening, for the reception of said exhaust-' valve chamber, an annular channel on said exhaust-valve chamber substantially in the plane of said opening, means for creating a current of airymeans for directing the same into said casing-u on said chamber, into said channeland out t rough said opening circumferentially of said chamber, whereby air heated by said chamber is driven from the casing without passing over said cylinder. a

4. Inan ex lo'sive-engine, a cylinder, a casing thereon aving an opening therein, an

' exhaust-valve chamber introduced into the tact with said chamber and the cooling effect is increased.

5. In an eXplosive-engme, a cylinder provided with a vertical combustion-chamber in I the head thereof, a casing for said combustion-chamber and cylinder, an'intake and an exhaust valve chamber opening from opposite sides into said combustion-chamber, corrugations upon the exterior of said combustlon-chamber and spines upon the exterior and upper part'of said cyllnder, means for v and to escape from said casing at one side thereof circumferentiall of said exhaustvalve chamber, and at t e lower end thereof circumferentiall of said cylinder.

6. In an exp osive-engine, an air-pipe, a

blower therein actuated through the prime moving shaft, a casing communicating with said air-pipe, a c linder inclosed on its upper end within. sai casin an exhaust-valve chamber passing throu said casing and connecting with said cylinder, means ermitting the escape of air out throu h sai casing on all sides of said exhaust-Va ve chamber, and means permittin the escape of air at the lower end of said casing on all sides of said cylinder, whereby air heated by the exhaustvalve chamber is not circulated over the cylinder, and airheated-by the cylinder is not circulated over the eighaustwalve'chamber. 7. In an eXplosive-engine, a cylinder, a

narrow combustion-chamber in the head thereof, an intake and an exhaust valve chamber opening into said combustionchamber op osite each other, an intakevalve, an e aust-valve conti ous thereto, a casing on said cylinder an combustionchamber having an opening for the reception end of said casing, whereby air cooling the exhaust-valve chamber is ejected from'the casing without passing over the c linder? head, and air cooling the cylinder' ead is ejected without passing over the exhaustvalve chamber. 7 v

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEE A. FRAYER. WM. J. MILLER. Witnesses:

B. BLUOK, O. M. ROGERS. 

